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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 11 May 2017[PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 May 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 66 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Hekmatyar's Fighters Refuse To Lay Down Arms In Afghanistan RFE/RL 11 May 2017 -- Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group said on May 11 that it will not hand over its weapons, despite pledging to do so as part of a peace deal signed with the government in September.
• Afghan Security Forces Flush Taliban Out of Two Districts in North-East Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- The Afghan security forces on Thursday regained control of two districts in the country's northeastern province of Badakhshan, which had been previously captured by the Taliban radical movement.
• Afghan Diplomat Alleges Pakistan Behind Resurgent Taliban VOA 11 May 2017 -- Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan has accused the neighboring country of contributing to the continuous violence in his war-ravaged nation by not cutting ties to the Taliban.
• US Intel Chief: Situation in Afghanistan Will 'Almost Certainly Deteriorate' VOA 11 May 2017 -- The United States' top intelligence official believes the military conflict in Afghanistan will likely deteriorate in the coming years, even if the U.S. commits more troops to the 16 year-old fight.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Media Availability with Secretary Mattis Enroute to Washington, D.C. DoD 11 May 2017 -- Presenter: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
• Eucom Chief Addresses European Security Concerns at Defense Conference AFPS 11 May 2017 -- The United States seeks stronger strategic relationships with European nations to bolster regional security, Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti yesterday told a gathering of chiefs of defense and senior enlisted leaders at the conclusion of a defense conference held in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Saber Junction 17 delivers constant, near-peer tough training Army News 11 May 2017 -- As a relentless opposing force counters each maneuver and observe controllers critique every decision, troopers assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, participate in Saber Junction 17 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 25 to May 19, 2017. This exercise includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations.
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım DoD 11 May 2017
• Readout from Secretary Jim Mattis' Bilateral Meeting with UK State Secretary for Defense Michael Fallon DoD 11 May 2017
• Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport City of Bismarck DoD 11 May 2017 -- The Navy will christen its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport, the future USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, May 13, at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
• Santa Fe visits Yokosuka during Indo-Asia-Pacific Patrol NNS 11 May 2017 -- The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, May 11, for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment.
• Trump to Navy: Digital Catapult 'No Good', 'You Going to Goddamned Steam' Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- Donald Trump said he told the Navy the new digital system would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and it was "no good".
• NATO Secretary General, German Chancellor discuss preparations for NATO leaders meeting NATO 11 May 2017 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Germany for its outstanding contributions to NATO in talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Thursday (11 May 2017). The two leaders discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels on 25 May, where burden sharing and fighting terrorism will top the agenda.
• Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Patriot PAC-3 and GEM-T Missiles DSCA 11 May 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for Patriot PAC-3 and GEM-T missiles. The estimated cost is $2 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 10, 2017.
• Government of India - CBRN Support Equipment DSCA 11 May 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India for CBRN support equipment. The estimated cost is $75 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 10, 2017.
• India Left With Four Minesweepers Against Chinese Subs, Experts Fear for Safety Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- With just four minesweepers out of the 24 required to secure its region from minefields, the Indian Navy is in dire straits with the existing four also due to be decommissioned next year without any news of any induction of new minesweepers.
• Speedboats key to Iran's deterrent power: Top general Press TV 11 May 2017 -- Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Baqeri says Iran's homemade speedboats have provided it with a remarkable deterrent power against threats posed by the enemies.
• MND dismisses speculation about alleged espionage case CNA 11 May 2017 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Thursday dismissed speculation that former Air Defense Missile Command Commander Hsieh Chia-kang (謝嘉康) spied for China because he was unhappy at being removed from his post in January.
• US committed to Turkey's security, Mattis tells Turkish PM Yildirim Press TV 11 May 2017 -- US Defense Secretary James Mattis has assured Turkey that Washington is committed to protecting its NATO ally, while Ankara is infuriated by a US plan to arm Kurdish fighters.
• US Reaffirms Commitment to Protect Turkey VOA 11 May 2017 -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has reiterated its pledge to protect Turkey, as the country opposes a recent U.S. decision to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters in an attempt to oust Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Raqqa.
• Erdogan Calls on US to Annul Decision to Arm Kurdish 'Terrorist Organizations' Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- Turkey expects its allies to support the country and not terrorist groups, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert The White House 11 May 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 11, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 11 May 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 May 2017
• Ex-governor defies Hadi, forms autonomous body in Aden Press TV 11 May 2017 -- Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's governor for Yemen's port city of Aden, recently fired by the Saudi-backed former president, has launched an autonomous body to manage the war-wracked country's south.
• Tahrir al-Sham Denounces Syrian Support for De-Escalation Zones as Treachery Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- A coalition of groups spearheaded by al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria has issued a stern warning against the implementation of safe zones, saying those groups who adhere to the Astana accord would be deemed traitors of the Syrian revolution.
• Syria: Agreement on 'de-escalation zones' could lift UN-facilitated political talks UN News 11 May 2017 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said today that next week's UN-facilitated talks in Geneva will benefit from the dynamics of the negotiations which began in Astana, Kazakhstan, earlier this month, which saw an agreement between Russia, Iran and Turkey on 'de-escalation zones' in war-torn Syria.
• Islamic State Defeated at Tabqa Dam VOA 11 May 2017 -- U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have defeated Islamic State fighters in the city of Tabqa and have seized Tabqa Dam, a key objective for the militias before a planned attack on the terror group's de-facto capital, Raqqa.
• Iraqi army launches large-scale operation against Daesh in Anbar Press TV 11 May 2017 -- The Iraqi army has launched a large-scale operation against Daesh in the desert areas of the western Anbar Province as the terrorist group is being dealt final blows in the country's fight against the Takfiri terrorists.
• U.S.-Backed Iraqi Special Forces Encircling Mosul Old City RFE/RL 11 May 2017 -- Iraqi government troops are moving closer to surrounding Mosul's Old City, as the U.S.-backed forces battle to liberate the city from Islamic State (IS) extremists, military officials say.
• Political Unity in Libya One Step Closer as General Haftar Named New Army Chief Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- Libya's Foreign Minister Mohammed Siyala, has named Khalifa Haftar, the long-time opponent of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and the chief of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), as the head of the country's military on the condition that he recognize the UN-backed GNA as the sole governing authority.
• The 'cycle of revenge' in South Sudan will hurt everyone - UN envoy UN News 11 May 2017 -- Deteriorating security in parts of South Sudan coupled with increased displacement could worsen the humanitarian suffering in the country through outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhoea and even cholera, the United Nations envoy for the country has warned.
• No part of Israel immune to resistance missiles in any future war: Nasrallah Press TV 11 May 2017 -- The Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyad Hassan Nasrallah, says no part of the occupied Palestinian lands will be immune to resistance missiles and its fighters in any future conflict.
• Hezbollah Dismantles Military Positions on Lebanese-Syrian Border as Area Safe Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- According to Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, the Lebanon-based movement Hezbollah has dismantled its military positions on the border with Syria as the mission of securing the area has been completed.
• Security Council welcomes commitment of Colombian Government and FARC-EP to peace process UN News 11 May 2017 -- The opposition in Colombia has begun to lay down arms, a move welcomed today by the United Nations Security Council which recently visited the country to see the peace efforts first-hand.
• UN releases new funding to support critical aid operations in Central African Republic UN News 11 May 2017 -- Against the backdrop of a continuingly complex humanitarian scenario in the Central African Republic (CAR) – marked by multiplication of hotspots, increased displacement and growing needs – the head of United Nations humanitarian operations in the country today released $9 million for the most urgent and critical relief operations.
• International support for Somalia must focus on rebuilding security, averting famine - UN chief UN News 11 May 2017 -- Opening a major conference on Somalia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today urged the international community to support security efforts in the country battling Al-Shabaab and aid the more than six million Somalis affected by the violence and a deadly drought.
• UN's Guterres Seeks $900 Million for Somalia VOA 11 May 2017 -- Somalia needs genuine international support for its reconstruction and stabilization plans to prevent a slide back into anarchy, leaders said at the start of a one-day conference on Somalia in London.

News Reports

• Trump Defends Firing of FBI Director, Calls Him 'Grandstander' VOA 11 May 2017 -- President Donald Trump asserts in a NBC-TV interview Thursday that he would have fired FBI chief James Comey even if Justice Department officials had not recommended it, calling Comey a show-off.
• Acting FBI Chief: Comey Firing Has No Impact on Russia Probe VOA 11 May 2017 -- The acting head of the FBI said President Donald Trump's firing of former agency director James Comey has had no impact on an ongoing Russia investigation, but declined to comment on an eye-popping claim the president made in a letter notifying Comey of his dismissal.
• Controversy Over Trump's FBI Firing Seen as Playing Into Russia's Strategy VOA 11 May 2017 -- Political acrimony over President Donald Trump's controversial decision to fire FBI Director James Comey is playing into the hands of a longtime U.S. adversary, several current and former U.S. intelligence officials say.
• Pressure Grows for Deputy Attorney General to Appoint Special Counsel for Russia Probes VOA 11 May 2017 -- Former colleagues of Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Wednesday he should recuse himself from investigations into Russian meddling in U.S. elections and instead appoint a special prosecutor after President Donald Trump abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday.
• Fired FBI Director Was Seeking To Expand Probe Of Russian Meddling RFE/RL 11 May 2017 -- FBI Director James Comey was seeking to expand his agency's investigation into possible collusion between Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign in the days before Trump fired him, U.S. media reported on May 10.
• U.S. Senate Panel Subpoenas Flynn Documents In Probe Of Russian Meddling RFE/RL 11 May 2017 -- The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on May 10 subpoenaed former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, demanding documents related to its investigation into Russia's election meddling.
• Kremlin 'Cautiously Optimistic' After Lavrov-Trump Meeting RFE/RL 11 May 2017 -- The Kremlin expressed "cautious optimism" about the prospects for an improvement in relations with the United States following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
• Russia: 'Cautious Optimism' After Trump-Lavrov Meeting VOA 11 May 2017 -- A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. President Donald Trump was "extremely positive."
• Venezuelan Officials Say 39 Killed in Clashes, Dozens More Injured Sputnik 11 May 2017 -- The death toll in Venezuela clashes has risen to 39 as a young man was killed in Caracas on Wednesday, according to officials.
• New violence in Venezuela kills 1, injures over 90 Press TV 11 May 2017 -- New violence in Venezuela has killed one person and injured dozens of others in the capital, Caracas.
• China willing to work with S. Korea, Xi tells Moon in phone conversation People's Daily 11 May 2017 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated South Korea's newly-elected President Moon Jae-in in a phone conversation on Thursday.
• S Korea ready for talks with North under right conditions: Intelligence chief Press TV 11 May 2017 -- The new head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), who is credited with the arrangement of two inter-Korean summits in the 2000s, stresses the need for a Seoul-Pyongyang meeting, but says it would be possible only when calm returns to the region.
• South Korea to Send Envoys to China to Discuss THAAD, North Korea VOA 11 May 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's office said Thursday he plans to send a delegation to Beijing to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and China's concerns about a U.S. missile defense system being deployed in South Korea.
• CIA opens new center to monitor North Korea Press TV 11 May 2017 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has announced the establishment of a Korea Mission Center, which it says will focus on countering military threats coming from North Korea.
• DPRK says to bring to justice "terror suspects" against top leader People's Daily 11 May 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Thursday it will bring to justice the "terror suspects" involved in what the country alleged was an assassination plot against its top leader Kim Jong Un.
• US Alerted France of Russian Cyberattacks During Presidential Election VOA 11 May 2017 -- The United States informed French officials that Russia had hacked France's computer networks during the country's presidential election before the cyberattacks became public, the National Security Agency chief told Congress on Thursday.
• Russia charges three suspects with terror in St. Petersburg metro bombing Press TV 11 May 2017 -- Russian prosecutors have charged three suspects over involvement in last month's bombing attack in the Saint Petersburg metro.
• Turkey regrets Germany's move to accept asylum requests Press TV 11 May 2017 -- Turkey has criticized Germany for granting political asylum to a group of military personnel, whom Ankara accuses of involvement in a failed coup last year.
• Ukrainians allowed visa-free travel to EU's Schengen area Press TV 11 May 2017 -- Ukrainians have been allowed to make visa-free travel to the European Union's Schengen Area, amid tensions between the Western-backed country and Russia.
• Arms Caches in Venezuela Pose Threat, CIA Chief Says VOA 11 May 2017 -- Venezuela has large caches of weapons that are at risk of falling into the wrong hands, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency told a Senate panel Thursday, adding, "It's a real threat."